Dimitri sees all
by Fantasyismyforte
Summary: Dimitri is one of the main characters of VA... how does he see the VA world?
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone. Just want to say Please review!!!

The Moroi royals were always the same, discussion before action. Maybe they just talked for the sake of it. And now, they were arguing about how to respond to the Badica incident. Dimitri doubted that the Moroi would ever use their magic as Tasha was suggesting; magic was peaceful, that's what they had always been taught.

But his mind was not on the Badica massacre, or even the recent pillage of the Drozdovs. As always, his mind had strayed to the one person who mattered most—the one he was never allowed to care about.

_Roza._

The thought came as a sigh of longing, stronger than even the thought of home brought about. As Dimitri strode down one of the many corridors that riddled the ski resort, he couldn't tear his mind's eye away from everything he loved about her; her smile, the dark silky hair that ran down her back, the way her lips felt as she kissed him…

The thought of her kissing him brought back a deluge of memories, including the unwanted realisation that loving her would destroy both of their reputations, as well as endanger Lissa's life. It was a risk he simply couldn't take.

Glancing at the watch on his wrist, he doubled his pace. He was late meeting Alberta. She had some information on the Strigoi attacks she wanted him to see.

He reached the lobby and pushed his way through the jostling crowds. Some Moroi were running. The Strigoi attacks had put everyone on edge. Dimitri still couldn't help thinking of them as cowards.

Dimitri entered the St. Vladimir's Academy wing, just off the lobby. Students strolled through the passage ways, all glancing at him in awe. Dimitri suppressed a smile when he remembered how Rose had called him a god.

_No. Stop. Don't think about her. You can't think about her._

He set his mind to the task at hand- finding the Strigoi and their human counterparts.

He rounded a corner and what he saw halted him in his tracks.

Rose was halfway down the hall. With Mason Ashford.

Her back was pressed up against the wall, her arms wrapped tightly round Ashford's neck, her lips and his locked in a tight embrace. Ashford was running his fingers through her beautiful, silky hair.

And at that moment, Dimitri's heart froze.

As quickly as possible, he retreated back around the corner and leant against the wall, breathing deeply. Anger, jealousy and hurt coursed through his veins like wildfire.

_Calm. She's not yours. Calm. Breathe._

Rose spoke suddenly.

"We could go… somewhere."

Mason laughed. "Not when you're drunk."

"I'm not … that… drunk anymore," she said.

Dimitri peeked around the corner, just in time to see Mason plant a butterfly kiss on Rose's lips. "Drunk enough. Look this isn't easy, believe me. But if you still want me tomorrow-when you're sober- then we'll talk."

Mason leaned in to kiss her again and she pulled him closer. He broke away with a laugh. "Easy there, girl." And he turned and walked away down the hall. Dimitri looked back at Rose. She was standing there, as gorgeous as ever, a beatific smile on her face. His eyes followed her as she crossed the hall and disappeared behind one of the many doors that lined the sides of the hall.

Dimitri stepped out from the shadows, his hands still balled in anger and frustration.

He walked the length of the hall, past Rose's door and onto the corridor beyond, trying very hard not to think about what he had just seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys!!

Just wanna make a shout-out to the people who reviewed the 1st chapter….. I wasn't going to write more until you guys suggested it!! DIMITRI SEES ALL is now a series of just random things from Dimitri's perspective.

Also To Lani…Cause we read the same books… and cause she begged me to continue.

According to my friends, Im supposed to say this: Tanya for inspiration, Emily C for support and Bridget cause she is awesome… and so is clown-bear.

To the rest of the world, Im not on drugs, just overly exuberant.

And if you believe that VA belongs to me, you are the most gullible person alive.

DIMITRI's POV

"You should take it."

I flinched. I knew exactly what she was talking about. But I still couldn't believe it. "What?"

Rose sighed. "Tasha's offer. You should take her up on it. It's a really great chance."

I froze. "I never expected you to say anything like that." I said. My voice sounded tight. I was starting to lose it. _Breathe. Control._ I took a deep breath. "Especially after---"

She interrupted me. As usual.

"What a bitch I've been? Yeah." She shifted slightly, either from discomfort or the cold I couldn't tell. The wind was starting to pick up, an icy tempest that swirled around us, but I had the feeling that this conversation was going to be a bit ugly.

She glanced over at me and spoke again. "Well. It's like I said, I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want us to hate each other. And… well…" She faltered and screwed her eyes shut. This was killing her, in a figurative sense. I didn't want her to say anything else. I could have walked away, right then and there, and saved us both pain. But I wouldn't. Any excuse to be with her is a good excuse as any.

She regained her control and continued. "And no matter how I feel about us… I want you to be happy."

Her words hung in the air between us. She was sacrificing her love for me so I would be happy. How the hell could I tell her that the only way I could be happy was if I was with her?

But that was the problem. I couldn't. What we had was illegal. And if this came out, we were both totally screwed.

Instead I hugged her close, murmuring her name. We held each other close, and I wished the moment would go on forever. Things never worked out the way we wanted. We knew it was impossible to love each other in our world, so we did the only thing we could do.

We were letting go.

Rose pulled away and stood, brushing the snow off herself. She swiftly handed me my coat and gazed off towards the sun. She seemed unsettled, tense.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

She turned and looked me straight in the eye. "To break someone's heart."

She held my gaze for a moment longer before she turned on her heel and walked out of the sun and back down the stairs, her gorgeous red dress fluttering in the breeze behind her.

I watched her the entire time, as the woman I loved walked out of my life.

*********************************************************************

I was just getting to sleep when a loud banging echoed through my room.

"Jesus! Belikov, get your ass out here, now!!" It was Alberta and she sounded like she was damn pissed.

I groaned inwardly and forced myself out of bed. It had taken me four hours to get into the half-dozing state I was in, thanks to the situation with Rose keeping my head busy. I yawned as I opened the door.

"Alberta you have better got a damn good reason---"

"Just shut up already! They're gone!"

I released a sigh of exasperation. "Calm down. They'll turn up. Whatever they are."

She just glared at me. "Oh, yes, Belikov. Of course five runaway students will just turn up. I apologise for my outburst," she said sarcastically.

That sure as hell shocked me awake. "Are you joking?"

"Belikov! Just get dressed and get your ass down to Guardian Hathaway's room. If you are not there in two minutes, I swear you will regret seeing me tonight."

She stormed off down the hallway, but I barely noticed. I leant against the doorframe, rubbing my hands into my face.

This is sure as hell the last thing that I wanted to happen.

One minute and forty eight seconds later, I burst through Guardian Hathaway's room door to find in a hub of activity. Everyone, minus the sentry posts, was here by my reckoning.

"The main priority is to find them before the Strigoi do. We have two Moroi out there, one of which is a royal. They are our first targets. Then the dhampirs, you got that?"

I heard Janine Hathaway before I saw her. She was discussing battle tactics with Alberta and Stan Alto. There was another Guardian there whom I didn't recognise. What I did see though was a massive bruise that dominated his temple. It looked pretty recent.

Janine glanced my way. "Good, Belikov. We could use you."

I nodded in acknowledgement and walked towards them. Alto excused himself to do something of 'great importance'. "What do you need?"

"This is Guardian Helif," she said nodding towards the dhampir with the bruised forehead. "He is helping us identify the runaways. It will save us having to roll-call the entire student body."

"Who do we know are missing so far?"

Janine grimaced. "Four out of the five have been identified. Two dhampirs, two Moroi. Mason Ashford, Mia Rinaldi and Eddie Castile were let out by Alan. Looks like the Rinaldi girl can use compulsion."

I suppressed a groan. "Who does Helif have to identify?"

"This is where it gets tricky. Helif here was attacked by two students a short time later. One we know is Christian Ozera, which is making the Royal Court fretful, despite the fact they have alienated him for the majority of his life."

I nodded, and frowned in concentration. "Didn't Alberta say there were five runaways? Who was the fifth?"

"There was a girl with him, but due to his injury, Helif can't recall many details about her. We know one thing for sure--- she was a dhampir."

I noticed that Janine's accent had grown significantly since we had started talking. She was anxious, but she was trying to hide it. I glanced over at Alberta and even she, the definition of calm and collected, was looking frantic. It suddenly clicked in my mind. They knew, or at least suspected who it was. And now I did.

I stared at them in shock and turned to Guardian Helif, grabbing a folder with pictures of the entire student body out of Janine's hands. I found the right page, and turned it towards him, pointing to a picture in the centre of the page. "Is this her?"

He squinted at the photograph and I mentally cursed him to hurry up. I tried to calm myself, but it was pointless. After an age, he glanced up at me and said "That's her. I'm sure of it."

My heart gave a painful lurch as I gave the folder back to Janine. She nodded, as if this had confirmed her fears.

The photo was of Rosemarie Hathaway.

Thanks for reading!

Remember to please review!!

Adding more one-shots from Dimitri's perspective soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews. Next instalment:

We had no choice but to question Lissa.

No one wanted to involve her, just in case she relapsed into depression. Her best friend and boyfriend were missing; not to mention the other three were her friends. How would you feel?

I tried to protect her as best as I could. Hell, it was my job to protect her. But time was running out and we had no other choice but to risk it. The Guardians were all at their wits end, and we needed to find them before the runaways became a Strigoi meal.

Just thinking of Rose in that way made me shudder.

That shocked me, the fact that just that thought could bring up such a strong emotion. I've had years, no _decades_, of training to thwart any such show of emotion. I couldn't help it anymore, I had finally realised just how much she meant to me. I wouldn't act on it, though. I couldn't destroy our reputations for our relationship. It wasn't worth it.

Anyway, Rose had made it very clear what was to happen. When this mess was over, I'll be leaving the Academy with Tasha. As arranged.

Janine shook my shoulder, tossing me out of my reverie.

"Belikov, _focus_! Have you heard a single word I have said?"

I just shrugged and Janine shot me a glare. I can she where Rose gets _that_ from.

"We don't want to scare her. She trusts you, so you'll be leading the questioning. Chances are, she knows where they have gone," she repeated, her exasperation coming through, clear as day.

I personally didn't think that Rose or Christian had told the Dragomir Princess what was happening, but I had to follow orders.

We were standing outside Lissa's dorm room in the ski resort. From the sounds of it, she was watching the television. I quickly glanced around, just in case someone else was watching. We hadn't told the rest of the student body or the resort residents of our situation, just in case we would be responsible for a panic. Satisfied, I took a deep breath and knocked loudly on the wooden door. The newsreader's voice was cut off midsentence and I heard a voice ring through the door.

"Christian, I swear if you are coming to apologise-"

The door opened and Lissa was standing just over the threshold. As soon as she saw Janine and I, she flushed a deep scarlet. "Sorry Dimi… Guardian Belikov, Guardian Hathaway," she said, nodding to each of us. "I thought you were somebody else."

I hesitated before answering. She didn't know. _Crap_.

"Princess, may we come in for a minute?"

Lissa looked puzzled, but stepped aside. "Sure. Rose isn't here, if you are looking for her." We walked through the door and stood in the middle of a lavish dorm room. Lissa closed the door behind us and went and sat on the end of a made bed. The other bed was in shambles. Typical Rose.

Janine turned to her and said: "Actually Princess, we are here to speak to you."

Lissa looked surprised. "Why?"

Janine took a deep breath. "Where is Rose, Lissa?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since Priscilla's Banquet."

Janine gestured for me to continue.

I looked Lissa in the eye. "Rose and several other students have disappeared. We are trying to find them. Any detail you know would be helpful."

Lissa was silent, staring at me with her mouth wide. "_What!?_"

I put on my calmest voice before continuing. "A few hours ago, Mason Ashford, Mia Rinaldi and Eddie Castile disappeared. From the looks of things, Rose convinced Christian Ozera to attack a Guardian with her so they could go with them. They broke out of the ski resort Lissa."

"But the Strigoi! Oh, God, Rose… and Christian! What the hell are they doing?"

Lissa started to sob quietly and I glanced over at Janine. She looked horrified. Our only hope had backfired.

I pushed forward. I couldn't just drop it. Rose was out there! My Roza! I needed to find her.

"Where are they Lissa?"

She looked up at me. "I have no idea. I should know, they should have told me!"

I sighed. "I know you want to protect them, but we need to know where they are."

"I told you," she said, "I don't know. I don't know what happened."

I felt numb. She knew nothing. They were best friends, yet Rose hadn't told her anything. What the hell was Rose playing at?!

Janine spoke then, her thoughts mirroring mine. "I can't believe they wouldn't have told you where they were going. Especially with your… bond." Janine wasn't fully filled in on the psychic connection between Rose and Lissa. Hearing that, Lissa just looked frustrated.

"It only works one way. You know that."

I sensed a meltdown, so I knelt to her eye level. "Are you sure there is nothing? Nothing at all you can tell us? They're nowhere in town. The man at the bus station didn't see them… although we are pretty sure that's where they must have gone. We need something, _anything_ to go on." You could hear the desperation in my voice. I knew I was getting worked up, so I took a few deep breaths. Rose was right. I was fighting for control.

Lissa snapped. "Don't you think if I knew, I'd tell you? You don't think I'm worried about them too? I have _no_ idea where they are. None. And why'd they even leave… it doesn't make sense either. Especially why they would go with Mia, of all people."

Malice filled her voice. She was jealous of being left behind, worried and ignorant. She really had no idea.

As I stood back up, I noticed fleeting flash in her eye. If I had blinked I would have missed it. An idea sparked in my head. I turned to Janine, but she was already walking out the door. She was upset. I was on my own.

I turned back to the Princess, still curled in a ball, sitting on the end of her bed. Tears were escaping out of her eyes.

"Lissa? Do you have any idea when Rose slips into your head? At all?"

She didn't even look up. "None. Rose only says it happens when I'm really upset or scared. Like now, I guess. But I told her to stay out."

I sighed. "Thanks Lissa."

I left the dorm room and closed the door behind me. I pressed my ear to the crack in the door jamb. I still wasn't entirely sure if Lissa was telling the truth. I heard her open up a cell phone. She hit a few buttons and everything was silent for a few seconds. Then she spoke.

"Adrian. It's Lissa. I need you to come to my dorm room now…yes, now… I don't care! Rose is missing! I need you to help me… Of course I know! You aren't the only one with Spirit around here you know!... Ok. I'll see you soon."

I heard her slam the phone shut and sigh. I stood up and walked away down the hall, and realised why Adrian Ivashkov had and interest in Lissa and Rose. He was a Spirit User.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks everyone for the reviews! Please continue!!**

"_Belikov?"_

"_Uh-huh."_

"_It's Alberta."_

"_Busy right now."_

"_Put down whatever you are doing."_

_Jesus, Alberta! I'm going through the Bus Station's security tape, which you stole, by the way, and told me this may be the only clue as to their whereabouts. And now you want to annoy me. Which would you like done first?"_

"_We found them."_

I kept playing this over, and over, in my head, the entire way to Spokane. Days had past since they ran and we had nothing to go on. Then Christian called the Resort.

I couldn't believe when Alberta told me. In fact, I called Ozera back from my room. He answered at the payphone I called.

"Hello?" He sounded hesitant.

"Mr. Ozera. This is Guardian Belikov."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey, Belikov. What do you need?"

"I need to know what happened. Don't leave anything out."

"Look, I've already told Albert… Guardian Petrov. Can't you just ask her?" he asked, exasperation saturating his voice.

"Ozera, you will tell me what happened and you will tell me now, or you will suffer the consequences," I hissed, Part of my brain shouted that I couldn't speak to a royal this way, but I couldn't care less. _They come first._ Except today. All I cared about was Rose.

"Fine, Your Imperial Majesty." _Smartass._ "We, Rose and I that is, tracked the others to Spokane. They were under the delusion they could kill some Strigoi. We went to the Bus station, but were jumped by some humans. They pulled a gun on Mia, so we gave in."

_God that would've pissed Rose._ I thought with a smile. Then the seriousness of the situation sunk in again. _Focus, Belikov._

"They took us to a house and locked us in the basement. There were two Strigoi: Isaiah and Elena. Isaiah said only either Mia or I could survive, if we became Strigoi. By choice." Disgust seeped through his words, his tone laced with hatred. "They were going to feed off the rest of us. They already started on Eddie."

"Rose got me to burn through our bindings and we attacked them. Rose stayed behind to distract the Strigoi. At least, that was the plan. Mason went back. He's dead, Belikov," said Christian with a sigh. "There was nothing we could do."

"And Rose?" I couldn't hide the desperation in my voice. Hopefully Ozera would dismiss it as concern for my student, rather than the love of my life.

And there it is, as plain as day. I love her. I love Rose.

I wasn't going to leave the Academy for Tasha. I'd always known that. My heart swelled with hope. She was alive.

"I have no idea. She hasn't come out. Mia and Eddie are unconscious, and I can't just leave them. Mia fainted after she came out, so I have no idea what else has happened since Mason died. I'm sorry, Belikov."

My heart stopped. I froze, all except for my hands which shook. _No. That's not right. She couldn't be…dead?_

I now understood why he was acting like such a smartass. He was hiding his fear and panic beneath as much bravado as he could muster.

I stayed silent. My Roza is dead.

"Belikov? How long are you guys going to be?"

I snapped into the present. "We should be there within a few hours," I replied, my voice devoid of emotion.

"Please hurry. It's getting dark."

"Stay where you are. We'll be there soon."

And with that I hung up, cutting off whatever else Ozera had to say.

************************************************************************

The entire journey, I hadn't taken my foot of the accelerator. The jeep speed down the road as fast as I could push it. I ignored Alberta's attempts at conversation. I kept my mind blank. I just kept driving, a fleet of Guardian vehicles hot on my tail.

We were barely thirty minutes out of Spokane when Alberta broke the silence.

"Belikov?"

I ignored her. Again.

"Look, Belikov, this isn't your fault," she said, her voice soft and soothing.

My eyes flickered over to her. "Rose is my student. She is my responsibility. I should have seen this coming."

"You are her mentor, not her jailer. Rose makes her own decisions. We couldn't stop her if the Moroi world depended on it."

_Her Russian jailer._ That made me smile.

"What?" asked Alberta.

"You said I wasn't her jailer. That's what she used to call me. Her Russian jailer," I replied.

She stared at me. "She's not dead, Dimitri. She's too good for that. Don't think of her that way."

I sighed. "She was up against two Strigoi with no weapons."

Alberta fell silent. I knew why she had said what she said. Optimism was of little value in these situations, but it was always worth a try. I didn't fall for it though.

I had been running on autopilot since the resort. I was preparing myself to farewell her. My Roza.

The car suddenly felt very small.

************************************************************************

We pulled up to the curb to find Christian pacing the sidewalk. Mia was sitting under a tree with Eddie's head on her lap. He was still unconscious.

I pulled out my stake from its sheath. Alberta jumped out of the passenger seat and ran to the waiting three. I walked up to them. I didn't even greet them.

"Which house?"

Alberta was crouched over Eddie, and it looked like he was hurt pretty bad. Christian pointed to a house across the street. I nodded, and at that moment, the other Guardians pulled up. I waved around ten of them over and we stormed towards the house, stakes at the ready. I spotted Janine Hathaway within the crowd. She had been crying.

"Search the house. Find Rose and Mason and kill any Strigoi you find. No exceptions." I ordered. Most of these Guardians ranked higher than me, but they let me take the lead.

I trod quietly up the steps and onto the porch, the wooden boards creaking beneath my feet. I rested a hand on the doorknob and hesitated. Did I want to know what was on the other side? Could I handle it if it was Rose's broken body?

I swallowed my fears and turned, pushing the door back into the gloom.

The room beyond was dark, but I could see signs of a fight. Blood splattered on the walls, glass on the ground.

And a body.

I heard my breath catch and walked towards the body. It had no head, but that sat barely a few feet from the body. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw not Rose, but another woman. Her red, lifeless eyes gazed unseeingly toward the ceiling.

The other Guardians had filed in behind me and surveyed the room. Then a small voice rang out from the darkness.

"Stay back! Stay away from him!"

I squinted and found the source of the voice, my heart pounding. A small figure was crouched in the back corner. _It's her._ I breathed a sigh of relief and stood. She was right there. My Roza.

The Guardians all but charges towards the small figure. Janine pushed through the crowd, her eyes full of tears. I was still far in front of them, approaching her slowly. I crouched down to her level, still a few metres away.

"Stay back!" Rose screamed, and she raised an antique sword towards me.

Panic coursed through me. She didn't recognise us. What had happened here? What had she seen that damaged her so?

"Rose," I said, my voice gentle. "Drop the sword."

She cringed. "Get away from us," she warned. I saw now that I was only ten feet from her that she was shielding a body with her own.

_Mason._

"Rose," I pleaded. A flash of recognition shot through her eyes. Put still the sword pointed in my direction. "It's okay," I continued. "Everything's going to be okay. You can let go of the sword."

Her hands began to shake. "I can't. I can't leave him. I have to protect him."

I gazed into her eyes. "You have."

As soon as the sword clattered to the floor, I wrapped her in a tight embrace. I pulled her to my feet and pulled her towards the door. Janine stared as we passed, her eyes full of relief.

The Guardians were in the process of assessing the room when one called out that they had found another body. I hadn't noticed it when I came in. It was a man, a Strigoi.

"She did that?" Somebody said in amazement. "Both of them?"

A Guardian knelt by Mason's body, studying the word Rose had dropped. "That sword hasn't been sharpened in years!" he said, his voice incredulous. Rose whimpered and I squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

Janine recovered from her shock and motioned to me. "Get her out of her Belikov."

I nodded and pulled Rose towards the door, towards the sunlight after this depressing darkness.

I laid her down on the porch. I barely noticed that she had fallen unconscious, or that Alberta, Mia, Christian and hundreds of others had gathered around us. All I cared about in the world was that my Roza was alive. I held her hand tightly, and felt her pulse beat strongly beneath her skin.

Rose was safe.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey Everyone. Here's the next instalment. Sorry it took so long!!**

I leant against the Stone Wall, my breath clouding in front of me. It was around midnight and I was watching the entrance to the Meeting Hall, in the Guardian's Building. The ceremony wasn't to begin for another ten minutes, but already the Hall was crawling with Guardians.

A shadow crossed the Quad and I immediately stood to attention, barring the door. Already tonight, two Moroi and Six dhampirs had tried to persuade me to let them enter, but to no avail. I was positive others had come up with more creative ways to break in.

But this particular person had every right to enter tonight.

"Rose," I greeted her as she mounted the steps.

"Hey Dimitri," she said a smile on her lips. But as she drew closer, her eyes gave away her true feelings and my heart went out to her. Beneath a thick layer of make-up, undoubtedly Lissa's handiwork, her eyes were red and swollen from the tears. She looked as if she hadn't slept in days and she had her arms wrapped around her chest. She seemed so fragile. I briefly glimpsed the burns that scarred her wrist, and anger shot through me. It was a good thing Rose had slaughtered the Strigoi, or they would've found a new enemy in me. As I watched her more closely, her smile faltered and her expression was plagued with undeniable sadness.

She was suffering and I would have given anything to hold her, to comfort her. It damn near broke my heart to see her so lost and hurting, and I was powerless. I never felt this way, ever; I was always the strong one. I protected my family from the likes of my bastard father. I protected Moroi against a near unstoppable force of evil. I protected their children, sacrificing any chance I had to have a family of my own. All this I did alone. And now, the only person who mattered to me in this hemisphere was mourning the loss of her friend and I just had to stand by and watch.

I wanted to screw ethics, right then and there and hold her so tightly, never to let go. But I resisted and instead held the door open for her. I could now hear the quiet murmurings of the Guardians inside and realised how close I had been to destroying both of our reputations.

I watched Rose as she pulled herself up the last stair and walk towards the door. Then she hesitated. I was in danger of losing every ounce of control I had every second she stood there. She stared into my eyes, almost nervously.

"You're going to be there, right?"

I smiled at her. "I wouldn't dare miss it. You would crush me at training otherwise."

That made her grin and my heart soared. "Thank you," she said as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. "For everything," she whispered into my ear.

I held her tightly against my chest, not caring if anyone saw, wishing I would never have to let her go.

************************************************************************

I had just kicked Shane Reyes out of the hall when the ceremony began. He had snuck in via Alberta's office on the third floor. Don't ask me how he got up there in the first place.

Almost all the seats were taken, so rather than cause a fuss, I stood at the back next to Janine.

"Are you proud?" I asked softly. She glanced briefly in my direction and turned her attention back to Rose, who was hovering to the left of the platform where she would receive her _molnija_ marks. She looked nervous.

"Why wouldn't I be? My daughter has achieved what few novices have before her. She is the best Guardian the Princess will ever have, bonded or not. Of course I'm proud."

I sighed. "She will surpass us all."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that, actually." Janine turned towards me, her arms folded across her chest. "I want to thank you. For everything you've done. All the crap she's pulled you through, what with her mouth and her attitude, not mentioning the Victor Dashkov situation. Rose couldn't have made it this far without you mentoring her."

_If only she knew, she'd be attacking me rather than thanking me. _I thought with a smile.

Out loud, I said, "Two Thank You's from the Hathaway Guardians. I'm privileged."

Janine struggled to hold back a smile. "You should be. We're not that easy to crack."

The Guardians all hushed as Alberta and Rose both mounted the raised platform.

Rose was trying to look brave, and I'm sure se did to everyone else in the Hall. But I knew her, and I could see she was almost overrun with sadness and nerves.

Rose slumped in a stool in the centre of the stage while Alberta read to the details of Rose's kills. Rose flinched when they mention Mason's name.

With the Speech out of the way, Alberta motioned for Janine to come to the platform. She hurried forward and had a short conversation with Alberta and Lionel. I hardly noticed, never taken my eyes off Rose's face.

Lionel began to draw the tattoos and Rose bit her lip to ignore the pain. I remembered doing the exact same thing at my first _Molnija_ ceremony. 

It took an age for Lionel to finish, but the entire time the Guardians didn't take their eyes off Rose, a sign to our perfect training.

Janine stood next to the platform, a beatific smile on her face as she looked up at her only daughter with pride.

Lionel stepped aside and Guardians who trained Rose stepped forward to express their joy at her achievement. I stood amongst them, and watched her make her way down the line of well-givers.

Alberta approached her first and I heard her whisper "Welcome to the ranks," as she pulled her into an embrace. From Alberta, this was one of the best compliments you could ever receive. Her eyes reflected the words left unspoken: pride, happiness and sympathy. Getting over your first kills wasn't easy; Strigoi or no, you were still taking a life.

When she finally reached me, I couldn't speak. I was so overwhelmed with pride, love and tenderness for Roza that it was beyond words. I gave her a small smile, and put my hand to her cheek, letting her know everything I couldn't say aloud. She understood and her eyes filled with tears as I nodded and walked away, leaving her and the other Guardians to celebrate.

************************************************************************

I didn't see Rose until the afternoon. Or early morning, depending on how you looked at it. She walked into the Gym, dressed in training clothes and her hair pulled messily up into a ponytail. A bandage adorned the back of her neck, the only visible reminder of what she had achieved that morning. She looked as beautiful as ever.

Then I really saw her.

She still looked tried and miserable, but worse than this morning, if that was at all possible. And dressed in only thin layers, it struck me that she had lost weight. Not enough to make her sick, but enough to make her look gaunt. The urge to comfort her seized me again, and I swallowed it back. I had realised that only time would help her recover from these ills, no matter how much time I spent with her. But talking did help, and I could do that.

She glanced around and spotted me sitting on a chair in the supply room, just off the gym. I lay my book aside. "I thought you might come by," I said.

"It's time for practise."

I shook my head. "No. No practise today. You still need to recover."

"I've got a clean bill of health. I'm good to go," she pointed out.

I sighed. "Sit down, Rose," I said, gesturing to the chair across from me.

She walked hesitantly up to me, and slumped in the chair. I leant forward and looked into her eyes. There were no barriers now, except for my will, and that was about ready to falter.

"No on gets over their first kill…" I hesitated before I corrected myself, "kills… easily. Even with Strigoi, it's still technically taking a life. That's hard to come to terms with. And after everything else you went through…" She cringed and I reached out and took her hand. "When I saw your face… when we found you in that house… you can't imagine how I felt."

"How… how did you feel?" she asked. This was hard for her to speak of too.

"Devastated, grief-stricken. You were alive, but the way you looked…" I shuddered, "I didn't think you'd ever recover. And it tore me apart to think of it happening to you so young." I squeezed her hand gently, once again feeling that strong pulse beneath my palm, the one thing in this entire country that was important to me. I took a deep breath before continuing. "You will recover. I know that now and I'm glad. But you aren't there, not yet. Losing someone you care about is never easy."

She dropped her gaze. "It's my fault," she said in a small voice.

"Hmm?"

"Mason. Getting killed." She shuddered and her eyes flickered once again to mine. All I could feel was sheer horror. Rose blamed herself for Mason's death. That was why she looked so terrible. Compassion coursed through me. I couldn't let the woman I loved believe all this was her fault.

"Oh, Roza. No. You made some bad decisions… you should have told others when he was gone… but you can't blame yourself. You didn't kill him."

Tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to spill over. "I might as well have," She sobbed. "The whole reason he went there- it was my fault. We had a fight… and I told him about the Spokane thing, even though you told me not to…"

A tear escaped and ran down the side of her face. My heart gave a wrench and I lifted my free hand and wiped it away, just like I had seen Janine do on the plane.

"You can't blame yourself for that. You can regret your decisions and wish you'd done things differently, but in the end, Mason made his decisions too," I said, my tone calm.

She started to weep. "I just wish I'd been able to… I don't know, do anything…" She cut herself off as a fresh stream of tears ran down her face. She pulled her hands out of mine and stood up. "I should go. Let me know when you want to start practice again. And thanks for talking."

She started to turn and I realised this was the perfect opportunity. "No."

She glanced back at me and I stood. "What?" she asked.

I caught her eye and appreciated them for a moment before speaking. They were so clear and a deep brown, I almost lost all control I had. "No. I told her no. Tasha."

She looked shocked and her jaw dropped. She seemed to have trouble finding words. "I…but…why? That was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You could have had a baby. And she… she was, you know, into you…"

I resisted the urge to smile. It was totally inappropriate, considering we were talking about the woman whose heart I had broken. "Yes she was. Is. And that's why I had to say no. I couldn't return that… couldn't give her what she wanted. Not when…not when my heart is somewhere else." I said, taking a few steps towards her. I had finally admitted it to her. I had told her how much she meant to me. I had sacrificed a possible chance at happiness- a family- all for her. She looked like this revelation would reduce her to tears.

"But you seemed so into her. And you kept going on about how young I was," she protested.

I sighed. "You act young, because you _are_ young. But you know things, Roza. Things people even older than you don't even know. That day…," Memories coursed through me of the time she had kissed me in this very room, "You were right, about how I fight to stay in control. No one else has ever figured that out- and it scared me. You scared me."

"Why? Don't you want anyone to know?"

I shrugged. "Whether they know or not doesn't matter. What matters is that someone- that you- know me that well. When a person can see into your soul, it's hard. It forces you to be open. Vulnerable. It's much easier being with someone who is more than a casual friend."

"Like Tasha?" she suggested.

"Tasha Ozera is an amazing woman. She's beautiful and she's brave. But she doesn't-"

"She doesn't get you." Always interrupting. But I nodded nonetheless.

"I knew that. But I still wanted the relationship. I knew it would be easy and that she could take me away from you. I thought she could make me forget you."

She nodded, as if she understood. "But she couldn't," she guessed.

"Yes. And that was a problem."

"Because it's wrong for us to be together."

"Yes."

"Because of the age difference."

"Yes."

"But more importantly because we're going to be Lissa's guardians and need to focus on her- not each other."

"Yes."

Her eyes flickered to mine. "Well, the way I see it, we aren't going to be Lissa's guardians _yet_," she said mischievously.

I was armed and ready with a response when I realised something. She was right.

At that moment, my will crumpled to dust and reached out for her. My hands cupped her face and I brought my lips down softly on hers. My heart soared when she started to kiss me back.

**Please review!!**

**Next Chapter: We backtrack and see Dimitri break the News to Tasha.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Okay, I just want to say you guys may wonder what the first bit has to do with Tasha. There is a method in my madness, let me assure you. Mainly I want to show **_**why**_** Doctor Olenski was so pissed when Rose told them she was seeing ghosts.**

I wasn't looking forward to the end of my shift. I think that's the first time anyone, ever, has said that. But there was hell to pay. And guess who was on the receiving end.

I sighed as I headed to the Head watch, to officially sign off. It was located in the main hall of the Guardians building, along the main hall. I nodded in Greeting to Alain, who was on duty there. I still hadn't completely forgiven him for falling into the trap that was compulsion. I didn't hold him personally responsible for what had happened to Rose and her friends, but he was pretty damn close.

I ignored all attempts he made in conversation and walked off, leaving him stunned behind me.

I strode purposefully towards the med clinic, where I had left Rose several hours ago. I knew perfectly well she wouldn't be there; I was stalling.

I pushed open the heavy doors, suppressing all the memories that attempted to flood to the surface. Many times I had walked through these doors, not knowing if I'd ever come out whole again. Without the piece of my soul that belonged to Rose.

I crossed the room towards the nurse's desk when Dr Olenski walked in from one of the wards. Her attention was absorbed by a folder with an intense expression. If I didn't know her better, I'd swear she would be ready to throw it at someone.

"Ami, can you get these to- oh," she said, glancing up from her folder. "Guardian Belikov. What can I do for you?" she asked as she leant against the Nurse's desk.

I cleared my throat. "I'm here to see Rose."

She smiled. "I would've guessed that. She left a few hours ago. Sorry."

I nodded. "I expected that. Thanks anyway. How is she?"

She grimaced. "She's alright physically, other than the burns, but they will heal. Mentally, it's too early to tell."

"Are there going to be complications from what has transpired?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm. I didn't want anything to hurt Rose, especially not her mind.

She sighed. "I wanted to speak to you about that, actually. I want Rose to begin counselling immediately, just in case."

I suppressed a grin. "She will hate that. Anyway, she's always been a bit crazy," I joked.

"I find you cracking jokes at Rose's mental health offensive, Belikov, and I'm sure she would agree with me," she said, glaring at me, her tone sharp and cutting. I immediately started to make a hasty retreat. Self Preservation Purposes.

"Okay… I'll talk to Alberta about it. I'll see you around then?" I replied uneasily.

"Uh-huh." Her attention had turned from me and once again to that folder. I left without looking back.

************************************************************************

I had barely left the med clinic when the ringing sound of footsteps echoed from behind me.

"Dimka! There you are!"

I turned and my worst nightmares were fulfilled. Tasha was walking towards me, a huge smile on her face. The scar stood out against her pallid complexion. "I've been looking for you!" She reached up around my neck and kissed me softly, closing her eyes. The kiss wasn't like it had been with Rose, all passion and fire. It was emotionless, effortless and I remained detached, exactly the same as every other kiss hat had happened between us. I hated myself for what I was doing to her.

I stood rigid and she pulled away, her expression troubled and confused.

"What's the matter?" she whispered.

I sighed and pulled her arms away from my neck. She looked shocked. "Dimitri? What is it?" she asked her voice soft.

"Tasha, we need to talk."

Her frown deepened. "Okay. Do you want to go somewhere more private?"

I nodded and turned away, walking towards an empty classroom. Classes didn't start for another week, so there was little chance we'd b interrupted. I pulled her with me, and she stayed silent the entire time.

When I pulled closed the door, she was onto me.

"Okay, what the hell is going on, Dimitri?"

I struggled to form words. "Tasha… Natasha… I want to say… no."

She raised her arms in exasperation. "No to what?! Dimka you better start making sense real soon or-" she cut off as the things I'd said connected in her mind. "Oh. You don't want to be my Guardian." she stated, in utter disbelief. A statement, not a question.

"I can't do it Tasha. I just can't."

She stayed silent, staring up at me, her face betraying everything she felt for me. Love, desire, friendship, joy; but above all, there was a look of such misery. It made me feel so guilty. It was all my fault.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"I haven't been fair to you, Tasha. I needed someone to make me forget, to take me away, from everything," I paused, knowing what I would say next could possibly betray everything. "I can't love you, Tasha, not the way you want me to."

She glanced up at me. "It's Rose, isn't it? You love her."

_How the hell did she figure that out?!_

I sighed "I'm sorry Tasha." As soon as these words escaped my mouth, she broke down. Just bowed her head screwed her eyes tightly closed and sobbed. I couldn't bare it; I pulled her closer to me, hugging her tightly to my chest. Big Mistake.

She flinched. "Get off me! You bastard, get the hell off me!" Her eyes were alight with anger and desperation.

I was shocked, but I pulled back anyway. "What?"

She glared at me, her face alive with passion and anger. "What?! _What!? _You have got to be freaking kidding me Belikov! You said yes! You told me yes!" Her voice broke, and she slumped, shuddering, into a chair behind her and wrapped her arms around her. "You used me Belikov," she whispered. "I have no idea why, but you did. Didn't you?" She looked up at me, all anger gone, pleading. I didn't want to say anything. I was still in shock. She knew about Rose and I.

"Didn't you!" she yelled and I flinched. I had never heard Tasha yell, ever. It was so unlike her, and it made me realise just how much I had screwed things up.

I dragged a chair over, sat opposite her and I held her hands in mine. She didn't seem very happy about this either, but at least she didn't push me away.

"How could you guess?"

She laughed, her voice all ice and ire. "She glared at me every time I was near you. You were always so tense when she was around, but your eyes would light up, as if the sun rose and set on her." _Oh God. Is it that obvious?_ "I didn't get it at first. I just thought she was angry at me for taking her mentor away from the school, but then I saw her with Mason, and I saw your reaction to that. I tried to ignore it, I really did."

"You see a lot," I mused.

"You learn to see _everything_ when you are barred from society, Belikov. Every innuendo, every cutting remark, every subtle attempt to force you away." She had called me Belikov. Not Dimka. I don't think our friendship would ever be salvaged. That was the price I was to pay.

We lapsed into silence, her staring at the floor with tears streaming down her face and I as rigid as stone.

I watched her suffer, and after a few minutes, the tears subsided and she pulled her hands away. She stood to her feet. She didn't even look at me.

"I'm going to go," she said, mainly to the door behind me. Her voice was shaking.

I rose to my feet. "Please don't tell anyone about Rose and I, Tasha. It's not her fault. This is all me."

Something flashed in her eyes and I reacted instantly. I restrained the arm that was aimed for my face within seconds and immediately regretted it. I deserved to be hit by her. I couldn't even grant her her revenge. I just couldn't take it.

She overbalanced herself and I caught her before she fell. She struggled to get free but I wouldn't let her go. Then she gave up. She had no choice; her martial arts training were no match for my Guardian skills.

She leant forward and hissed in my face. "I don't give a _shit_ about what happens to Rose. Or you. I'll tell them. I'll tell them all. Rose will be screwed, you'll go to jail and you won't _ever_ be able to love her, or anyone else. _That_ will be your punishment for what you did to me!"

I couldn't believe my ears. Was Tasha that spiteful? How dare she threaten such things?! She would destroy every chance Rose had of becoming a Guardian, just for her petty revenge. Anger coursed through me. I was seeing red; no part of my brain retained sanity. My restraint broke.

I pushed her away and sent her sprawling to the floor at my feet.

I couldn't believe what I had done.

She looked shocked, but unhurt, thankfully. I stood there staring at her on the ground. I had just attacked a Moroi royal. I had done exactly what my father had done. I hurt her because she stood up for herself. I was my father's son, through and through.

I didn't move when she got up and walked to the door, nor when she hesitated behind me and said "Screw you, Dimitri." **(Gilmore Girls: Rory says "Screw you, Logan." but I'd thought I'd adapt it. :D)**eHell

I turned around to catch a glimpse of Tasha's ebony locks disappear into the corridor, before the door slammed, sending a blast of rushing air towards me. I was truly sorry for the pain I'd caused her, but I couldn't keep lying to her.

As soon as I was alone, I roared in anger and punched the wall, repetitively, behind me, leaving a gaping hole. My heart pounded and I was out of breath. I was out of control.

I leant back against the wall, and slid down it, to the ground. I didn't think, move or speak for a very long time.

When I finally left the classroom, it was time for my shift. The entire confrontation with Tasha had barely lasted ten minutes, but the fallout had left me occupied for over six hours.

I was approaching the Guardian building when I ran into Alberta. We talked Guardian business, before I remembered what Dr. Olenski had told me.

"I talked to Olenski earlier, Alberta. She wants Rose to have psychiatric counselling."

Alberta frowned. "For what? Every novice, including Rose, has been taught to deal with this. It was bound to happen eventually," she added, indifferent.

"So no counselling?"

"None. She wouldn't want it anyway."

I nodded. It was exactly as I had thought. "Could you tell Olenski? I'm supposed to have checked in to duty five minutes ago."

She nodded. "Sure. I've got to go past there anyway. Some students broke into a classroom and destroy everything in it" I felt mildly guilty when she said this. "Get a move on Belikov. I'll see you at the meeting later."

I entered the Guardian building and headed back to Head Watch. Amazingly, Alain was still on duty. He must be pulling a double shift.

"Late, Belikov! I'll be reporting you," he threatened, obviously still annoyed about how I'd been treating him since Spokane.

"Fine Alain. You report me for tardiness and I'll pull you onto trial for being an accomplice to murder." I hissed, my voice so cold I didn't even recognise it.

He flinched and his eyes went wide with shock, but that shut him up. He checked me in, and I left without another word.

**The button is not an option. You have to press it.**

**Next Chapter: In the words of Julie Andrews, Lets start at the very beginning (Sad, yes, I know) and see how Dimitri found Lissa and Rose in Oregon.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, I know I said that the next chapter would be the very beginning, but I didn't want to leave the last chapter how it ended. Voila!**

I was due to go onto my shift in around half an hour, so I hid away in my room. I needed to be alone, to dwell on the happenings of the last few days. Roza was safe, that's all that mattered, I thought. I hadn't seen her since Spokane, but I had seen Lissa, at meals. She told me Roza was fine, but she needed to be left alone.

"She doesn't want to see you, or anyone for that matter, Dimitri. You'll just have to wait until the _Molinja _ceremony." Without another word, she walked off to join Christian Ozera. He nodded tersely to me before turning away, his hand clasped in hers. I envied them that freedom.

Then there was Tasha.

I hadn't seen her since that stupid, out-of-control confrontation we had in that classroom. She had every right to turn me in, every right to hate me. But Rose didn't deserve this. I didn't act well, but she wasn't hurt. I hadn't punched or hit her, just pushed her, but I really hated myself for it.

When I was thirteen, I attacked my father. He wielded a knife, and threatened to kill my mother, if she didn't let him stay. It was when I hurt Tasha, I realised I we were two peas in a pod. And the scary thing was, I had been told that before, but I hadn't believed it.

_I stood over him, glaring at him with unveiled hatred. He was on the ground, his nose gushing blood. There were shallow cuts on his face and a severe bruise was beginning to blossom on his temple. He winced as he tried to sit up, only to flop back to the floor. I had been trained well, and I resolved to thank Guardian __Ivaf__ when I got back to the Academy._

_Tania and Dasha were sobbing quietly behind me. They were several years younger than me, barely ten years between them. They still loved the bastard of a man that they called __Отец__._**(Translation: Father. Thank you free translation!!)**

_I held the slim dagger in my right hand, the cruel iron winking at me. "Do it, Dimitri. Kill him. He doesn't deserve mercy," it whispered to me seductively. _

_Мать_**(Mother****)** _stood behind me. I hadn't even heard her move after__Отец__ pushed her to the ground. She rested a hand on my shoulder__ and shook me gently. She had seen the anger in my eyes, all these years, every time he hurt her; she knew what was to come._

"_Enough. He won't hurt us anymore," she whispered. "Give me the knife." _**(Note: this would have been spoken in Russian)**

_I glanced over at Tatiana. She was cringing into the wall, her eyes sparkling with tears. Dasha sat in her lap, immobile. They weren't staring at the bastard at my feet; they were gazing at me, fear alight in their eyes._

_I couldn't believe what I had done. If I killed him now, I was just as bad as him. Worse, even. I made the decision._

_I whipped to the right, and threw the knife at the wall, where it lodged within the panel. Tatiana let out a small scream as it hit and__Мать__ jumped away from me. It was then I realized how scared they were of me, at this moment. I tried not to think about that. _

_I turned back to the pitiable form cowering on the ground below me.__ I reached down and wrenched him up by his shirt. I stood at full height and, even though he was Moroi, his feet dangled helplessly. That made a small thrill of pleasure run through me. I was better than him, in more ways than one._

_Blood was seeping into his shirt and he glared at me, hatred and defiance wrote plain on his face._

"_Now you listen to me, you __Сукин__сын__. You leave us alone. You won't talk to your children; you won't talk to our __Мать__ ever again. You won't ever lay a finger on her again.__ You do, and you will wish I just killed you now. Understood?" I hissed. His eyes widened infinitely. "Is this it, boy? You going to throw your own father out? You do that, your even worse than you say I am," he said, his voice tight with uncontrolled anger._

_I glared at him. "I will never be like you." I said, putting on the best threatening tone I could muster. "Leave." _

_I put him down, and stepped away from him. He disgusted me._

"_You are exactly like me, kid. Keep telling yourself otherwise in the meantime."_

_And he with that, he left._

_He pulled himself up and left, without a single glance back to the children and the mess he left behind._

I never saw him again.

But maybe he did return, not physically, but in me. It was too much like him, and that explained everything. Why I couldn't control myself, why I loved Rose when she was totally of limits.

And why I had hurt Tasha.

I was as evil and as uncontrollable as my father.

I lay on my bed in my room. When I finally drew myself away from my thoughts, I sat up, I realised something.

I have nothing here. No mementos, no photographs, nothing to show that Dimitri Belikov lived here. I was withdrawn and spent most of my time alone.

My father was alone. That was why he was always commuting between his empty mansion and our dhampir commune. He had no one and that's why he wanted to have control over who had to love him.

That was happening to me. I pushed Rose away. And Tasha. I spent no time with my colleagues. I spent all my time working, even when I wasn't supposed to. I hardly contacted my family.

I had no one, just like him. The only difference was, I wasn't too proud to change that.

That's how I ended up trudging in ankle-deep snow, through the Montana woodlands, towards the hut. I managed to delay my shift for an hour, to correct my wrongs.

I didn't hesitate, didn't think and I knocked on the door.

It took her a while to open the door when Rose's voice echoed through my mind: _You always do what's right._ She'd never actually said that, but I seen it written plain as day on her face, every time I saw her.

Tasha opened the door, her face expectant. She'd seen me coming.

"I wondered when you were coming," she remarked, her voice devoid of emotion. She turned and walked back into the hut. I took that as an invitation and followed.

She sat at the table in the centre of the room and I sat opposite her. She watched me, waiting. Time to grovel.

"I want to apologise Tasha. I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry." It came out as a gushing torrent. "You don't have to forgive me, but I wish you would." I expected her to frown. Instead she smiled.

"You are so stupid, Dimka."

_Dimka?_

"_What!?"_ I whispered.

"I couldn't hate you Dimka. I overreacted. It's your life and you make those decisions. Sure, I can hope your decision had been me, but I'm not. I have to except that." Sadness tinged her voice, but otherwise she was okay.

"You're not mad?"

"I'm not mad."

I was bewildered.

"How can you not be? I pushed you! I tried to hurt you! How could you forgive me for that!?" I was seriously starting to question her sanity. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"I wondered what you made of that. Wait here," she replied. She got up and strode into the adjacent bedroom. She knelt down and rummaged through an open suitcase beside her bed. While her back was turned, I strained to see what she was doing. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at me. "Patience is a virtue, Dimka," she teased.

"A virtue I do not possess, sadly."

She grinned and walked back over to the table, a shoe clasped in her hands. She placed in onto the table and it fell onto its side, a _clang_ echoed through the room. Tasha stared at me expectantly and leant forward on the back of the chair.

I looked between the shoe and Tasha and finally answered her stare. "Am I supposed to be impressed?" I asked, falling into our typical banter.

She chuckled. "What's wrong with the shoe?"

I sighed in exasperation and picked up the shoe, turning it over in my hands. It was a simple high-heeled shoe, in a violet design. All that was irrelevant, as the heel had been snapped off. "What did you do? Run a few miles?"

"Close." I heard a smile in her voice. "I attacked a Guardian."

My eyes shot up to meet hers. "You mean…"

"Yeah. When I went to hit you and you blocked me, I stumbled and the heel broke. I didn't even realise til you let go of me. I felt so angry and hurt I didn't even realise how much of an idiot I was. I just needed some insight."

I was flabbergasted. "How did you manage to walk out of there?"

She grimaced. "With difficulty, I assure you. But this isn't my first broken heel.

"And you're okay with me… and Rose?"

"What choice do I have? I could do as I threatened, and alienate myself even more from society, and Christian? He'd hate me if I did that to one of his friends. Even Rose."

"So you decided to accept it?" I concluded.

"Yeah. I'd hate to lose you as a friend, Dimka."

I smiled at her. "Same here, Tasha."

I left soon after bidding her goodbye. She had to go back to work in two days, and couldn't delay her departure anymore.

As I walked through the snow laden trees back to the Guardian building to report for my shift, I dwelt on the fight I had with my father. Some parts had become fuzzy through the years, but one thing I had remembered with absolute clarity.

"_You are exactly like me, kid. Keep telling yourself otherwise in the meantime."_

That had stayed with me all my life. I had always wondered who had been right, me or him. And now I finally had an answer.

It was me.

**Now I will go back to the beginning. Reviewing is mandatory. No exceptions. ( I mean, who wouldn't want to press a cool green button??)**


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